I remember these trains very well. They were excellent and comfortable, and I can clearly remember the slap slap noise the sliding doors made as the train rocked about. The 501 replacements were poor in comparison. My father drove them and they had some interesting features. For example the notching up was automatic, and they were quick off the mark, but the driver could override that and notch up manually more quickly. They were quite powerful too, with four 280 hp motors in a 3 car set. That's an excellent model. The shoe beams were made of solid teak (the 501's were the same), and a slightly different shape to the ones on the model. I had several of them for years, rescued from the Oelikons when they were de-commissioned at Stonebridge Park. They were burning them and my father got permission to take some home. He reused them to make all sorts of things.
